What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 29, 2022,privacy data omitted went flying in his newly purchased Piper arrow, PA-28-180, privacy data omitted. He flew for approximately 2.5 hours in an attempt to break in a new cylinder head from recent maintenance. After the flight, he came in for his first landing and performed a go-around being unfamiliar with the aircraft. On his second attempt, privacy data omitted claims "the winds were messing with him and he lost track of his airspeed." The winds were 180 at 8 knots. Initially the aircraft made a dramatic pitch up about 10 feet above runway 13, then based on the security video obtained, the power is added and the aircraft continues to pitch up even further to a very high angle of attack. The aircraft banked hard to the left and made impact with the ground 250 feet left of runway 13 centerline, going through a chain-link fence and wooden fence for an adjacent property.
The left wing was separated from the fuselage. The right wing received severe damage from impact with the chain-link fence. The propeller became entangled with the chain-link fence, leaving one blade q-tipped and the other with several divots missing from the blade. Lofranco suffered a severe head laceration and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. He was release the next day.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 29, 2022,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WENT FLYING IN HIS NEWLY PURCHASED PIPER ARROW, PA-28-180, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HE FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HOURS IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK IN A NEW CYLINDER HEAD FROM RECENT MAINTENANCE. AFTER THE FLIGHT, HE CAME IN FOR HIS FIRST LANDING AND PERFORMED A GO-AROUND BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AIRCRAFT. ON HIS SECOND ATTEMPT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CLAIMS "THE WINDS WERE MESSING WITH HIM AND HE LOST TRACK OF HIS AIRSPEED." THE WINDS WERE 180 AT 8 KNOTS. INITIALLY THE AIRCRAFT MADE A DRAMATIC PITCH UP ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE RUNWAY 13, THEN BASED ON THE SECURITY VIDEO OBTAINED, THE POWER IS ADDED AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUES TO PITCH UP EVEN FURTHER TO A VERY HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK. THE AIRCRAFT BANKED HARD TO THE LEFT AND MADE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND 250 FEET LEFT OF RUNWAY 13 CENTERLINE, GOING THROUGH A CHAIN-LINK FENCE AND WOODEN FENCE FOR AN ADJACENT PROPERTY.
THE LEFT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE RIGHT WING RECEIVED SEVERE DAMAGE FROM IMPACT WITH THE CHAIN-LINK FENCE. THE PROPELLER BECAME ENTANGLED WITH THE CHAIN-LINK FENCE, LEAVING ONE BLADE Q-TIPPED AND THE OTHER WITH SEVERAL DIVOTS MISSING FROM THE BLADE. LOFRANCO SUFFERED A SEVERE HEAD LACERATION AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL. HE WAS RELEASE THE NEXT DAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3768T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.